Impact of corporate brand identity on employee job satisfaction in UK retail sector

This research thesis serves to explore the impact of corporate identity on employee job satisfaction within retail organisations. The objectives of the study related to 1) The influence of corporate identity and internal branding structures on the employees desire to engage in brand supporting behaviour’s and 2) To identify antecedents of job satisfaction. The study elected use of mixed method research by incorporating qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Semi- structured in-depth interviews supported by a literature review were conducted to develop a conceptual model. Relationships were identified between corporate identity, internal communication and composites of employee perception of corporate identity – resulting as determining influences on employee job satisfaction levels. These relationships were hypothesised and tested through conducting structural equation modelling. The study makes contributions to the employee branding, services marketing, and organisational citizenship literature, but its main contribution is to extend the corporate identity literature into the signification sub-topic of employee brand identification and job satisfaction through internal brand communication.
This research investigates and establishes the fact that positive perception of the corporate identity of the organisation they serve in, gives a sense of belonging to the employees and the employees identify themselves with the corporate brand they serve in, which in turn, has a direct impact on their job satisfaction levels and leads to more committed and productive workforce.
This study is unique as it is the first time that a research project has empirically demonstrated how employees of an organisation are direct recipients of corporate identity factors that enable them to associate themselves directly with the organisation’s identity, achieved through internal influence, which influences their sense of job satisfaction.